There was an immeasurable distance between the quick and the dead: they did not seem to belong to the same species; and it was strange to think that but a little while before they had spoken and moved and eaten and laughed - W. Somerset Maugham

Swedish pirate party tipped for EU win

THE SWEDISH Pirate Party has been favoured to win at least one seat in the European parliament this week.

The party, which wants to bolster Internet privacy, was founded in January 2006 and has been getting a lot of support from those who think that the music and film industries have gone too far in trying to control people's lives.

According to AFP, membership shot up after a Stockholm court on April 17 sentenced four Swedes to a year in jail for running one of the world's biggest filesharing sites, The Pirate Bay.

Opinion polls show the party with between 5.5 and 7.9 percent of votes, well above the four percent required to win a seat.

The Swedish press has pointed out that the traditional parties have been asleep on the issue and ignored how much support the party has gained, particularly among the young.

Since the rest of the Swedes are unlikely to go to the polls it is the perfect opportunity for an election sensation and a chance for the younger generation to give the entertainment industry a swift kick in the nadgers. µ